


Broken Phones, Broken Pencils

by LogicalParafox (Solitarysynonym)



Series: Larsadie Ficlet a Week Prompt Challenge [3]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 00:00:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4644888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solitarysynonym/pseuds/LogicalParafox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of Island Adventure, Sadie tries to figure out how their relationship has changed. </p><p>For SoggyWarmPockets' August Larsadie Ficlet Challenge</p><p>Prompt: Write about the first time Lars and Sadie had to work together at the Big Donut after the events shown in Island Adventure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Phones, Broken Pencils

The Big Donut’s owner had been understandably upset about having missed two workers for so many shifts, but Sadie managed to calm him down with promises that it would never happen again. Fortunately he also didn’t want to have to hire anyone new either so he had accepted her apologies with poor grace. 

With a sigh of relief Sadie hung up the phone and scrolled to Lars’ number. About to hit ‘call’ she hesitated, her finger hovering above the tempting green phone symbol. Sadie infinitely preferred phone conversations to the confusion of texting. Her thumbs were not the most delicate instruments and typing on the tiny screen was nothing if not frustrating. Still…. After the fiasco of the island…. 

Sadie glanced down at Lars’ tattered shirt she still wore, her heart contracting painfully as she rested her hand on the purple snake. Here was another thing of Lars’ she had ruined with her selfishness. Resigned, she clicked the green text bubble instead of the phone and carefully began to type with her still-stiff hand. 

(text to Lars): The owner says we still have jobs and he wants us to open on time tomorrow.

She stared at the empty white screen for a while, forcing herself to breathe evenly. Sadie’s shoulders slumped and she touched the purple snake again. With a sigh she eased herself up from the chair, carefully pulling off the tattered, muddy shirt and draping it over the back of her chair. A hot shower would do wonders for returning her to civilization, as well as some better bandages for her various scratches and bites than torn up pant legs and shirts. 

Her mother had been understandably upset when Sadie had finally come home, but Sadie’s obvious weariness and sadness had won her a reprieve. Her mother had told her they would talk later and then shooed her upstairs to get some rest. Her mom really was the best sometimes. 

———

Sadie wiped condensation off of the mirror, grimacing at her plain reflection. Spending so long on the island had tanned her skin and brought out brighter highlights in her hair, but she couldn’t see past her limp hair and square chin. She put her hands to her cheeks grimacing as she focused in on the gash across her right cheek. Well at least it couldn’t make things any worse. 

She squared her shoulders determinedly, barely flinching as she swabbed it with disinfectant. Apart from healing scabs, none of the injuries were puffy or discolored so she figured she wouldn’t need to see a doctor because they seemed to not be infected. Maybe it was because of the cooked fish… 

Sadie realized she’d been spacing out for long moments, reminiscing about the island. With a sigh she finished getting ready for bed and left the bathroom, enjoying the way her still-unshaved legs rubbed against each other. They felt… powerful. 

She scooped up her phone to check for a response from Lars but there was still nothing. With a sigh she sank into her desk chair, wondering how long it would be before he responded. Feeling low, she slumped over her desk clinging to the happy memories. Like the kiss. And how Lars had really come around after he threw his phone….

Threw. His. Phone. Into. The. Ocean. 

Sadie smacked herself on the forehead. How could she forget? And how could he respond! She snatched up her phone and hunted down his home number. 

The phone barely managed a ring before Lars answered. “THIS BETTER BE SADIE!!” he shouted. 

“Geeze! Yes, it’s me,” Sadie responded, holding the phone a little away from her ear to keep his shouting a little at bay. 

“Sadie! I’ve been worried sick! Do we have jobs or not after your stupid stunt??” Lars snapped. 

Sadie’s shoulders slumped and she lay her head on the desk. “Yeah we still have jobs,” she mumbled. “We’re supposed to open tomorrow.” 

She heard a sigh of relief and a thump and then nothing. 

Long moments passed before she managed to swallow the lump in her throat. “…Lars?”

“Whaaaat?” he whined. 

“Did you hear me say we’re opening tomorrow?” she asked hesitantly. The phone receiver was smashing her ear but the way he was mumbling she was worried about missing something he said. 

“Of course we’re opening tomorrow,” he sighed in disgust. “No consideration for trauma on hell island and my Stockholm syndrome after being held captive.” 

Sadie closed her eyes.

“Not to MENTION malnutrition from weird fish with faces and nothing else for WEEKS and WEEKS all because STEVEN couldn’t be bothered to plan ANYTHING EVER. Serves me right for listening to a dumb shrimp,” he groused. 

Sadie wished fervently for a crack to open up under her or for another invisible monster to come and do a better job than the first one. Lars just kept complaining about how he had had mud in every crevice and trauma and bug bites until Sadie wanted to scream. 

“Lars I…” she began. 

“And another thing! Monsters? Invisible monsters? Who takes anyone anywhere with invisible mystery monsters!!” Lars fumed. 

“I SAID I WAS SORRY ABOUT HIDING THE WARP PAD,” Sadie finally cried when he refused to let her get a word in edgewise. “I just… Look it doesn’t matter why. I’m sorry and if you need tomorrow to recuperate I can open the store by myself ok? I’ll let you know when you’re scheduled again. Bye.” 

She thought he might have said something as she hung up the phone but she was too unhappy to call him back. 

Ever meticulous, Sadie set an alarm and plugged her phone in before wrapping herself up in her blankets in a miserable ball. 

———

Washing Lars’ shirt had made the damage look even worse. She wasn’t even sure why she had brought it, but it was carefully folded and tucked under her arm as she headed for the store in the early morning fog off of the ocean. No telling what state the store would be in after so many days of the fill in, extremely part-time help left to their own devices, so she was two hours early and ready to put in some elbow grease to get things back in shape before anyone arrived. Running the store was hard enough on your own when everything was clean, but she was NOT going to drag Lars back in before he was ready. She owed him more than that. 

Sadie was digging in her purse for the store keys and cursing the dim light when she heard a scuffing sound from behind her. Her brain shot into overdrive and she dropped her purse and keys, whirling around as her heart pounded, already trying to remember what was around that she could use as a spear… and then froze. Lars was staring at her with his mouth hanging open in shock. 

The adrenaline that had surged through her was followed by a hot flush as embarrassment replaced it. “Lars!” Sadie exclaimed, her mind going blank with panic. 

Lars crouched and handed her her purse and keys before reaching for the shirt. “Oh,” he said, holding it out and sighing as he looked at all the tears. 

Sadie turned away and fumbled with the lock, fleeing into the store. “You didn’t have to come,” she said in a rush, turning on the lights and not looking at him. “I told you I could handle it.” 

“Yeah but you’re not going to buy me a new phone,” he retorted, moving over to start taking stock of the drinks. “And I just knew you’d be here disgustingly early.” 

“I thought I was working by myself and wanted to be sure everything was set up,” she said, put out by his attitude. She rolled her eyes at his back and settled in to check the donut stock and the register. 

———

They’d worked together long enough that they had a routine. Well really they had several: the routine where they both took half the store, the routine where Lars just moved some things around and Sadie had to do everything else and then double check the few things he had touched, and lastly the routine where Lars messed around on his phone and Sadie handled the whole thing. As she restocked the donut case she wondered bitterly if he was only doing his part now because, without his phone, there was nothing else to do. 

By the time PeeDee came by for donuts for his family, the store was back to its ideal state and Lars had settled into his usual chair. Without his phone he was staring glassy-eyed at the till. Sadie took the order and rang up the sale before leaning against the counter, trying to ignore the swelling silence. Without work to distract her, the fish bite on her arm was itching. She grimaced, staring determinedly at the Lion Lickers and trying not to think about how much she wanted to scratch her arm. 

“Thanks.” 

Sadie jumped, her heart thudding loud enough she could practically hear it. She put her bandaged hand to her chest and exhaled. “Geeze, don’t scare me like that!” she huffed. 

“What!” he exclaimed, hurt. “I was just trying to THANK you for washing my shirt, even if it is ruined. SORRY I didn’t so it right because I can’t do anything right!”

“Yeah because EVERYTHING IS ABOUT YOU,” Sadie snapped back, then froze as she heard her shout echo around the shop. “I’m going in the back, watch the counter,” she whispered, then beat a hasty retreat. She dropped into a chair and buried her face in her arms. The island was supposed to make everything better. He’d laughed. He’d relaxed. They’d kissed. She shouldn’t have lied. She knew that, she did. She had felt guilty but also he had needed it so badly and no one had been injured but her. Of course she would have taken them to the warp pad if Lars or Steven had been hurt. Of course! But she knew she could handle a few minor bites. 

Lars had opened up to her. Even if it had taken a lie for that to happen, it had still happened. Lars couldn’t take that away from her. 

———

“Sadie, you’re snoring.”

She woke with a start, looking wildly around and belatedly noticed Lars backing away from her. “Lars? Is something wrong?”

“No you were just.. Why are you so jumpy?”

She sighed and sank into the chair. “There was an invisible monster and I killed it with a stick, Lars,” Sadie said, closing her eyes and rubbing her face with her uninjured hand. 

“Yeah..” Lars said. “You… you really saved me back there Sadie.”

“Wouldn’t have needed to if I hadn’t lied in the first place,” she said, getting to her feet and heading back into the store. Her eyes were burning and she didn’t want to cry again. Sadie dug out the account log and started doing a money check against inventory for the current stock. 

She froze when he leaned on the counter next to her. Carefully keeping her eyes on the pages she said, “I don’t want to hear your thanks, ok? I made a stupid decision for selfish reasons and put everyone in danger and I don’t want to talk about it,” she said to the book, squeezing the pencil and trying to focus only on how the wood felt under her fingers instead of on how hot her cheeks felt.  
“Ok fine,” Lars grumbled. “Well if you REALLY want to make it up to me then you should at least get me a new…”

The pencil snapped in her hand. “I can’t afford to get you a new phone,” she interrupted him, turning her head to glare at him. “And you threw that in the ocean yourself.”

Lars smirked. “…shirt,” he finished. 

“Oh,” she said, embarrassed. 

“Geeze Sadie don’t jump the gun like that,” Lars proclaimed, throwing up his arms and sauntering over to the soda fountain to check on the ice. 

Sadie sighed and went back to checking the accounts, though she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her mouth.


End file.
